CPM launches 24-hour hunger strike
Visakhapatnam: The CPM will continue to fight till the Centre withdraws its decision to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and the people of the state will teach a befitting lesson to the BJP, said CPM state secretary V Srinivasa Rao. Opposing the privatisation of the VSP, party’s secretaries from six districts launched a 24-hour-long hunger strike at GVMC Gandhi statue. The protest began at 10 am on Friday and continued till 10 am on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, Srinivasa Rao said since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power all public sector units were handing over to private players. As part of it, the VSP has been put up for sale under the garb of 100 per cent strategic sale, he added.
The CPM state secretary said that public unions and trade unions have been fighting for the protection of the VSP for about 900 days. He alleged that the YSRCP, TDP and Jana Sena parties in the state are not speaking a single word against Narendra Modi’s government to protect steel plant.
Srinivasa Rao said that people of Andhra Pradesh are observing the opportunistic politics and it is responsibility of every individual of the state to protect the VSP from getting privatised. He said that a public agitation would be built across the state to protect the steel plant.M Jaggu Naidu (Visakhapatnam), K Lokanadham (Anakapalli), P Appalanarsa (ASR), T Suryanarayana (Vijayanagaram), D Venkataramana (Manyam), D Govinda Rao (Srikakulam) participated in the protest.
CPM 78 ward corporator B Ganga Rao, CITU general secretary RKSV Kumar, former MLC MVS Sarma, Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee chairman D Adinarayana, convener J Ayodhya Ram, Writers Academy chairman VV Ramana Murthy, CPI district secretary M. Pydiraju and Adikavi Nannaya University former Vice Chancellor George Victor extended their support to the hunger strike camp that focused on demanding the Centre to withdraw the VSP sale.